Casket stay mechanism

ABSTRACT

A stay mechanism for two hingedly connected members which are moveable between a first unengaged position and a second engaged position. An arm is hingedly attached at one end to a first member. The other end of the arm has a protrusion which is resiliently held in the pocket portion of a resilient strip attached to a second member, when the members are in the second position. A camming surface, facing the pocket of the resilient strip, defines, with the pocket, a resilient enclosure for the protrusion. The protrusion may be forced to slide out of the enclosure when the two members are moved towards the first position, by the resilient deformation and opening of the pocket. The resilient strip also has an inclined portion adjacent the pocket portion which serves as a guide for the protrusion into the pocket, when it is desired to move the members from the second position into the first position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Although having utility for other purposes, the invention relates toimprovements in hardware useful in burial caskets or the like and,specifically to a mechanism for positively holding a member such as acasket lid in an open position, while permitting its opening and closingin a smooth and continuous operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Although the art of constructing burial caskets is as old ascivilization, there has been little change in the basic structure of acasket in modern times. Fundamentally, a casket comprises two hingedlyconnected members, one of which is a casket body, the other one of whichis a top. Frequently the top is divided into two sections which arehinged to the body. Caskets may be constructed from wood, metal or othermaterials, and may be quite heavy, depending on the design. Casket lidsare normally attached to the casket body in such a way that the top canonly be opened to a certain maximum degree.

Opening the top too far, or inadvertently forcing it backwards too far,may break the hinge connection. To prevent this, metal brackets or staysare sometimes used which prevent the top from opening beyond a certaindesired angle. This angle is such that at the maximum opening, the topmay be balanced precariously between falling shut in one direction orleaning backward and possibly toppling in the other direction, if thecasket were accidentally bumped.

It is often desirable or necessary that the lid be held open for anextended period of time, for example, during the viewing period or whilearranging flowers and the like. It is also advantageous to keep the lidopen for purposes of display in a showroom to show to funeral directorsor other potential purchasers. During these periods if the casket lid isnot properly secured in the open position, it may easily be bumped andfall down, and cause a disturbance or injure persons standing nearby.

In the past, funeral directors have attempted to solve this problem bytying the lid up with string to a hook on the ceiling or some attachmenton the wall. Although this method prevents the falling of the caskettop, it is rather cumbersome and the string is not easily hidden fromview. Also commonly used are breaker arms which lock into position uponthe full opening of the casket top. In order to shut this type ofcasket, it is necessary to break the arm manually while at the same timelifting the casket top to relieve pressure from the breaker arm, andthis usually requires the labor of two persons to operate. The breakerarm is also defective in that it has a tendency to get caught in theinterior fabric of the casket, further complicating the closing of thetop. If the breaker arm is not covered with fabric, it would detractsignificantly from the overall appearance and attractiveness of theprepared casket.

There have been other types of retaining brackets proposed which wouldrequire a manual adjustment for locking the casket top in an openposition. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,783 shows a retaining bracketfor a casket, which must be manually tightened in order to stay the lidin the open position. These are also not very practical or convenient ofuse because of the extra adjustments required.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a stay mechanismto keep two hingedly connected members such as a casket lid and casketbody at a predetermined distance apart, which mechanism operatessmoothly, dependably and quietly.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a caskettop support mechanism which can yieldingly support a casket lid in anopen position.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a stay mechanismhaving a simple design which is operable by a single person without theneed for making any manual adjustments.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a casket lid supportwhich is attractive and unobtrusive, relatively inexpensive and easy toinstall, and has no tendency to tangle interior fabric.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with these and other objects, there is provided an arm,one end of which is pivotally attached to a first member such as acasket lid, while the opposite end has a protrusion or knob engaged in asecond member, which may be a casket body. When the two members are in afirst position, for example the closed position of a hingedly connectedcasket lid and body, the stay mechanism is disengaged. When the twomembers are in a second or open position, the protrusion on the arm isretained in the pocket of a resilient strip which is attached to thesecond member at one end of the strip. The other end of the resilientstrip comprises an inclined guide which slopes away from the pocket. Anopposing guide, also attached to the second member, faces the pocket todefine with the pocket an enclosure for the protrusion. The protrusionis resiliently confined within the enclosure defined by the pocket andopposing guide, but is able to slide out onto the inclined portion ifthe resilient strip is deformed to provide a sufficient opening from thepocket.

When it is desired to disengage the stay mechanism and to move themembers to the first position, it is necessary only to push the moveablemember in the direction of the first position. This motion forces thearm, and the protrusion attached thereto, in the direction of thesloping portion of the resilient strip. The resultant pressure of theprotrusion against the springy pocket effects a sufficient deformationof the pocket to permit the protrusion to be released therefrom, and forthe first and second members to move to the first position.

In order to engage the stay mechanism, it is necessary simply to pullthe moveable member to the second position, thereby sliding theprotrusion upon the sloping portion toward the springy pocket. Thepressure of the protrusion against the sloping portion forces the edgeof the pocket to resiliently open, thereby permitting the protrusion topass into the pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to specificpreferred embodiments and to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the staymechanism, used as a casket top support, and also showing a portion of ametal casket;

FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, are side views showing three stages in the operationof the top support mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a vertical sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2con an enlarged scale with respect to FIG. 2c;

FIG. 4 shows a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 3 butillustrating a modification used in a different form of a metal casket;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of this inventionmodified for use in a wooden casket;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a different embodiment of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof,burial casket 1 is a metal-type casket having two members, body 2 andlid 3, connected by hinges, one of which is shown at 4. The members maybe in a first position wherein lid 3 is closed upon casket body 2, FIG.2c, or they may be in a second position wherein the lid has been fullyopened for display or viewing, FIG. 2a.

Along the top edge of casket body 2 is a rim 8 having a lower surface 9and an upper surface 10 in which is installed a resilient strip 6. Thesupport arm 5 is pivotally attached at one end to the casket top 3 byfastener 11, and has a plastic protrusion or knob 7 attached to itsother extremity. The arm 5 reaches inside rim 8 through the slot 12 inupper surface 10, such that knob 7 resides inside rim 8.

The upper surface 10 retains the knob 7 within the cavity of rim 8.Upper surface 10 thus acts as a camming surface preventing the arm 5 andcasket lid 3 from further motion upward or backward beyond itspredetermined open viewing position. Slot 12 serves as a guide for arm 5to keep arm 5 and knob 7 on track during opening and closing movement.

Knob 7 is secured to the lower extremity of arm 5 by the fastener 13,which is preferably a screw. The resilient strip 6 is preferably made of0.046 inch annealed steel, and the knob 7 is preferably a round plasticknob having a smooth and slippery surface. The arm is preferably curvedat the middle toward the casket hinge, so that it is unobtrusive andvisually more attractive. Although only one arm 5 and one supportmechanism is described below, it is understood that a pair of supportsare preferably used, one at each end of the casket.

Referring to FIG. 2a, the resilient strip 6, although constructed from asingle narrow sheet of springy steel, has three definable portions, onebeing a sloping or inclined portion 20, a second being a pocket 21, anda third being an attachment portion 22. The attachment portion 22 isattached to the upper surface 10 of the casket rim by fasteners 23, 24.The pocket 21 is itself composed of three straight segments, 26, 27, 28,which are angularly connected so as to provide a snug fitting seat forknob 7. The segment 26 presses against the knob 7 in a directionsubstantially opposing a downward force transmitted to knob 7 througharm 5. Thus, any tendency for the top 3 to fall shut would be opposed bythe pressure of segment 26 upon knob 7. When the pocket 21 is in aclosed attitude, as shown in FIG. 2a, the spacial gap between neck 29and the upper surface 10 is substantially smaller than knob 7, so thatknob 7 is securely retained in pocket 21. The upper surface 10, facingthe pocket 21, also serves to retain knob 7 securely in place when thecasket lid 3 is in the open viewing position.

Referring to FIG. 2b, when it is desired to disengage the staymechanism, one need only positively pull the casket lid 3 forward anddownward in a closing motion. Since the pocket 21 is resilient anddeformable, it will elastically deform itself to widen the gap betweenneck 29 and surface 10 when a sufficient force has been applied againstsegment 26 through knob 7 and arm 5. Upon further closing movement ofthe lid 3, the knob 7 is forced beyond neck 29, out of the pocket 21.

The sloping portion 20 has, at its extremity, a plastic foot 25 whichcontacts, and is able to slide upon, the lower surface 9 of the casketbody rim. The surface 9 acts as a means for stopping the sloping portionfrom swinging perpendicularly away from the knob; in FIG. 2b, surface 9prevents sloping portion 20 from swinging downward. In this way surface9 pushes the sloping portion 20 upward and exerts a further pressuretending to keep knob 7 securely in the pocket 21. By stopping slopingportion 20 from swinging perpendicularly away, the knob 7 is able toslide up the sloping portion 20 toward neck 29 in a more smooth andgradual ascension, resulting in a greater ease in the casket openingoperation. The plastic foot 25 is preferred in order to allow a freedomof sliding upon surface 9, without any noticeable screeching or binding,during operation of the stay mechanism.

Referring to FIG. 2c, the casket top 3 has been completely shut and thesupport mechanism completely disengaged. In order to engage the supportmechanism, it is merely necessary to pull the casket top 3 upward andbackward, so as to pull the knob 7, via arm 5, towards the pocket 21.The sloping portion 20 serves here as a guide for knob 7, directing knob7 to the neck 29. The upper surface 10, facing the pocket 21 and slopingportion 20, also acts as a guide for knob 7, FIG. 2b. Because of thegradual sloping of sloping portion 20 enhanced by the stopping action ofsurface 9, there occurs only a gradual deformation of the resilientmetal strip 6 during the opening of lid 3, and it is relatively easy topull knob 7 upon sloping portion 20, through neck 29, and into pocket21. Consequently it is fairly easy to open casket lid 3 into thesupported, viewing position. Once the top 3 has been placed in theviewing position, and the knob 7 stopped by segments 27, 28 and uppersurface 10, the recessed portion 21 resiliently snaps back into a closedattitude bringing neck 29 closer to surface 10, and resiliently holdingknob 7 in place.

The segment 26 should be a straight segment so that in the casketclosing operation knob 7 would be able to smoothly slide from the seatedposition towards neck 29, deforming the springy pocket 21 in a gradualand continuous motion. The segments 27, 28 need not be straight,although that is also preferred.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is seen that the cavity of rim 8 may have anirregular shape, and the lower surface 9 need not be exactly flat, aslong as it is able to stop the foot 25 at the extremity of slopingportion 20 from swinging downward. If a casket has a rim 8 which doesnot have a surface 9 capable of supporting the foot 25, there isprovided a bracket 31, as in FIG. 4, having a surface 32 whicheffectively stops the foot 25 from swinging downward. In the alternativeembodiment of FIG. 4, the bracket 31 is rigidly attached to the casketbody 30 by use of fasteners 33.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention which is well suited for usein wooden caskets although adaptable for metal caskets as well. Theorientation of resilient strip 6 has been inverted in this embodiment,and an angle bracket 34 formed of pressed steel or other suitablematerial is attached to the casket body 2. Angle bracket 34 has a smoothcamming surface 35, to one end of which is secured the attachmentportion 22 of the resilient strip, by use of fasteners 23, 24. Theresilient strip has a pocket 21 comprising the straight segments 26, 27,28 which in its closed attitude resiliently retains the knob 7 so as tokeep the casket lid 3 in an open viewing position. The sloping portion20 slopes away from neck 29, and has at its extremity a plastic foot 25which slidingly contacts a stop 37 of bracket 38. Bracket 38 is rigidlysecured to casket body 2 by use of screws 39, 40.

In operating the embodiment of FIG. 5, the surface 35 functionssimilarly to upper surface 10 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, inthat surface 35 rigidly retains knob 7 against pocket 21, and provides asmooth surface upon which knob 7 can slide, when the top supportmechanism is being engaged or disengaged. Camming surface 35, facingsloping portion 20 and pocket 21, also serves as a guide for knob 7. Thestop 37 functions similarly to the lower surface 10 of the preferredembodiment in that stop 37 prevents the sloping portion 20 from swingingperpendicularly outward (upward in this case) from the knob 7 during theoperation of the mechanism. The pocket 21 and sloping portion 20 in FIG.5 are slightly removed from the surface of the casket 2 to provide aclearance for arm 5 when knob 7 is moved downward. The angle bracket 34is flush with the surface of casket body 2, so that arm 5 cannot everdrop lower than angle bracket 34, even when lid 3 has been fully shut.

An alternative and simpler embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG.6 in connection with a wooden casket. Here, the attached portion 22 ofthe resilient strip, attached to the casket body 2 by screws (notshown), also doubles as a camming surface, much like the upper surface10 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3. The pocket 21 and the sloping portion20 are slightly spaced away from the surface of the casket body 2, inorder to provide clearance for arm 5 during movement of knob 7 into andout of the pocket 21. Because the attached portion 22 is flush with thesurface of casket body 2, the arm 5 and its attached knob 7 cannot fallbelow portion 22. Since there is no means for stopping sloping portion20 from swinging perpendicularly away from the roller, the opposition ofsegment 26 against the pressure exerted through knob 7 is somewhat lessthan in the other embodiments. However, this embodiment has been foundto be useful in various applications where an inexpensive and verysimple top support is desired.

Although use of a plastic knob is preferred, it should be obvious thatthe knob 7 need not be plastic, as long as it has a smooth surface witha low coefficient of friction and, preferably, a substantially roundedshape. Plastic is a preferred material as it lends itself to silentoperation. Although the strip 6 has been made from an elastic andspringy steel, it is understood that any other material having similarqualities of strength, resilience and durability may be used.

The segment 26 of the preferred embodiment has a smooth straight surfacewhich permits a smooth motion of knob 7 towards neck 29 with anaccompanying gradual deformation in the pocket 21 that produces asmooth, as opposed to an abrupt noisy operation. It is preferred thatthe segments 26, 27 be angularly connected in approximately a rightangle, so that the pocket 21, together with the camming surface, wouldsnugly surround and securely retain knob 7 in the position whichcorresponds to an open-casket viewing position. In this open posture,the casket lid 3 has no tendency to shake or sway, and resists any minorvibrations or bumps which may otherwise tend to topple it. Nevertheless,the lid 3 may be easily closed by exerting a smooth and forcefulpressure on lid 3; and a single person can easily accomplish theengagement or disengagement of the support mechanism without requiringany manual adjustments, and without risking damage to the interiorfabric in the casket.

I claim:
 1. A stay mechanism for a first member hingedly connected to asecond member for relative movement of the members between first andsecond positions, the stay mechanism yieldably retaining said members inthe second of said positions, said mechanism comprising:an arm pivotallyattached at one end to the first member at a point on the first memberoffset from the hinged connection, and having a sidewise protrusion atits other end; a guide means on the second member for guiding theprotrusion into and out of the second position, said guide meanscomprising a resilient strip secured at one end to said second memberand having a resilient pocket shaped to receive the protrusion, saidpocket being adjacent said one end of the resilient strip, said guidemeans further comprising a camming surface fixed with respect to thesecond member, said camming surface facing the open pocket, saidresilient strip having a portion inclined away from the pocket and thecamming surface, said inclined portion serving to guide the protrusiontowards the pocket as the members are moved towards the second position,the camming surface being spaced relative to the pocket to define anentrance to the pocket which is expanded by yieldable movement of thepocket in an interaction of forces between the protrusion, the pocketand the camming surface, as the protrusion enters and leaves the pocketand as the members are moved into and out of the second position, saidpocket and the camming surface yieldably retaining the protrusion withinthe pocket when the members are in the second position, the end of thestrip remote from the pocket being free for limited movement during saidyieldable movement of the pocket.
 2. The stay mechanism of claim 1further comprising means for stopping the end of the inclined portionaway from the pocket from swinging perpendicularly away from the cammingsurface when the pocket is deformed by the protrusion, said stoppingmeans permitting free movement of the inclined portion away from andtowards the pocket.
 3. The stay mechanism of claim 2 where the cammingsurface is a surface of a burial casket member.
 4. The stay mechanism ofclaim 2 where the camming surface is a rigid, substantially straightsurface facing the open pocket and inclined portion, and affixed to thesecured end of the resilient strip.
 5. The stay mechanism of claim 1where the pocket includes a straight segment adjacent the inclinedportion upon which the protrusion may slide smoothly out of the pocket,in movement of the members out of the second position.
 6. The staymechanism of claim 5 where the straight segment has a length ofapproximately 1/2 to 11/2 times the diameter of the protrusion.
 7. Thestay mechanism of claim 6 where the camming surface is a surface of aburial casket member.
 8. The stay mechanism of claim 5 where thestraight segment pushes against the protrusion in a directionsubstantially opposing the movement of the protrusion and arm when themembers are urged from the second position towards the first position.9. The stay mechanism of claim 1 where the pocket faces a generallyupward direction and the camming surface facing the pocket faces agenerally downward direction.
 10. The stay mechanism of claim 1 wherethe pocket faces a generally downward direction and the camming surfacefacing the pocket faces a generally upward direction.
 11. The staymechanism of claim 1 where the pocket comprises two straight segmentsangularly connected in approximately a right angle, one of said segmentsbeing adjacent the inclined portion, so that the protrusion can slidesmoothly and gradually upon said one segment out of the pocket duringmovement of the members out of the second position.